Defining Awesome — Surviving 2008
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  • Surviving 2008

    Written by . Posted at 11:30 am on January 4th, 2008

    I just realized I have a crazy amount of work to get done this year, especially this month. Not just the games I announced but my other personal projects and activities. The funny thing is 99% of it is stuff I don’t really need to get done. I just want to do it. If you ever wanted to do something you didn’t have to do, you know how hard it is to accomplish it. I’ve been studying this subject all my life and figuring out techniques and methods of accomplishing my goals. One of the most important things to do is have a system of work and having it written down. And even better than having a written down system of work is having it written in some public place for all to read. When others evaluate you and know about your plans suddenly they become much higher priority.

    This is a chance to see what’s in my kitchen. If you don’t like abstract writing about doing things here’s a concrete list of tips and techniques I developed during my life which will help me survive 2008.

    • Turn off messenger and phone while working on something concrete like programming
    • Check e-mail only twice a day (checking my e-mail everytime I think I got mail is one of the nastiest habits ever)
    • Visit one website only 2 times a day max (the same as with e-mail, for all sites, even this blog)
    • No bookmarks (since about 2 months ago I had to delete 1000’s of bookmarks in my Opera and since then I stopped using them at all. I have a policy now – if I don’t remember it, it’s not worth reading)
    • Absolutely no TV (this is easy once you realize it is just marketing and brainwashing, even if it seems interesting or fun, it’s just a clever disguise to make a dumb consumer out of you)
    • Alternating – this one tip is worth a million dollars, here’s an example:

    Most people don’t read books. Some read one book at a time. I read 3-4 books simultaneously at any given time. Your worst enemy when reading is boredom and tiredness. Once you start becoming bored with 1 book, stop reading it and grab the next book. When you get tired of that one get the third one and so on. If you run out of books return to the first one making a cycle. This works like magic cause your brain is always interested in new things. It’s a mind trick.
    This also works with studying. When studying one subject if you become confused or bored switch to another subject. I don’t know what is the limit of this trick, but you can go on for hours like this.

    • Alternating left/right brain hemispheres – another golden tip.

    What you want to do is when doing something rational for some time switch to doing something irrational. So when I’m learning or programming I tend to switch from time to time to playing guitar. Sometimes I play ping-pong against my wall. I also tried juggling for some time. This relaxes me and gives me more creative ideas.

    • Getting up early in the morning (although I hate it I simply get dramatically more things done when I wake up early and start working, no joking here it is a must do)
    • Dieting

    The number one thing that relates to my energy levels besides the waking hour is diet. Here’s what works for me:

    • Eating close to nothing during the work day, certainly no breakfast.

    The biggest myth of food has to be that food gives you energy. In the long run yes, but not after the meal. The biggest energy consumer in my body is digesting. Digesting simply makes me tired and the less I eat the more energy I have. Of course this is not healthy in the long run so you shouldn’t be eating while working but after you’re done with everything that needs serious thinking eat all you can. The best diet I discovered is the Warrior’s Diet, where you eat nothing or very little (like fruits) during the day, and at the evening or night you eat as much food as possible. This is also a great cutting diet if you’re bodybuilding. Last year I had muscle gains while losing fat with it, which is awesome if you know what this sport is about.

    • Coffee (I had a no caffeine policy last year cause I’m oversensitive to it, but I see now that brain enhancement drugs are a necessity, coffee is the only legal one still left)
    • Absolutely no sugar

    This is by far the biggest brain killer I discovered. It literally makes your brain soft – scientific fact. Well at least for me, I guess this comes from meditating and knowing your mind states. I definitely am not myself after sugar. This is again counter-intuitive cause everybody will tell you glucoze gives you an energy boost, maybe for your muscles but not when you need to use your brain.

    • Not thinking that much

    The second biggest energy waster in my body is my brain. Meditation solves this problem, refreshes my mind and gives a thousand other benefits. Sleep isn’t so good for refreshing my mind. Sleeping is like hibernate mode in Windows, when I’m thinking about something and I fall asleep, when I wake up I discover I’m still thinking about the same thing. Only meditation resets the mind completely.

    • Using music for accomplishing goals

    After getting to know Hinduism and why they seem so obsessed with sound (their mantras, prayers, the way temples are built) I became convinced that sound is energy itself. Sound has a direct impact on your body. I listen only to Heavy Metal while programming – it is raw energy. Listen to it only loudly, never with headphones! And you must listen to it with a good speaker system, feel the bass and the vibrations. That feeling is the energy transfer. It works wonders for my state of mind. Also when I want to think logically or mathematically I put on Bach. Bach is math in musical form.

    • Power naps

    This is something I discovered last year. I always had trouble with napping during the day until I learned how to do it. Whenever I feel a bit tired I go on my bed to meditate. That bores the hell out of me and I fall asleep. I accomplish two things at once. Napping solves the problem of procrastination while low on energy in the body and meditations resets the brain.

    • Not wasting time on negativity and negative people

    (I define negativity as the opposite of productivity and constructive/motivating thought) I made a decision to not even talk to people that are being negative this year. Only spend time with people that provide value. Especially on this blog, so if I’m ignoring you, you know why.

    That’s all for now. I hope you find some tips useful. If you are curious more why things work in this list you should try them. You wouldn’t believe how simple things can have a dramatic impact on your whole life. The simplest tips are the best and also hardest to use because we easily neglect them. Don’t do that if you’re serious about getting things done and having a great life. Wish you the best this year.

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    29 comments.

    1. no fajnie tylko zatrudnisz angola i chłopak odrzuci polską poczte ~.~


    2. oj sorki źle zrozumiałem poor english ;/ to rozumiem czemu nie odpisujesz 😀


    3. /Off Yay! I’m a negative person xD
      /On Well, great tips actually. Specially the alternating ones, i was just watching the news(on TV ^^”) about it. Also, i’ll try to follow the other tips, i’m fallowing the “do just wath you fell like” rule and it is pretty cool actally. Hope this ones show some change aroud here :)
      And MM, if you’re really ignoring me because i’m a negative person, i’m sorry for beeing negative ^^”


    4. Good stuff as always!


    5. Now thats interesting, some of the tricks i know alredy (check email / visit website only a few times a day, no tv (thats easy because i have no tv :), alternating) and im using them but the other tricks are new to me, and im sure im going to test them on myself.

      thx for sharing the knowledge :)


    6. @Michal: Haha, define “negative people”. People questioning your logic and points of view? How can someone be negativist if we agreed that everybody is right in his own way? 😉


    7. Almost everything you said I’m doing it all ready. The blog and site I still have problem with it even if I know how it’s bad but messenger wen programing I’m doing it for a couple of weeks and it works!
      You need little sugar for your neuronal network but not in over dose and hyper activity related to sugar is not that real it’s more in your imagination since people say they are in over dose 30sec after eathing sugar and that’s impossible.


    8. underline

      Everyone have your own method of living.. to keep things going right and keep the health good..

      For me, eat one time a day isnt a good way to keep my health.. i must eat 3 times. but it changes from people to people..
      only meditation isnt enought to reset my brain… i have to sleep.
      Absolute NO tv: yeah! No tv! you can spend your time doing another things.
      Visit one website only 2 times a day max: yeah! you are right and i have to change my atitude..fo exemple i visit your blog 3-4 times a day. 😛
      Absolutely no sugar: sugar keeps my eyes open.. i think it is pisicologic.. but i need some sugar! the sugar takes the place of cofee for me.

      some things you said changes from people to people.. but another things dont change..
      Everyone must have your own method.. i have mine and most of the things are the same as in your method..

      the human body are like an industrial company.. im a student of industrial engineer here in Brazil and the first thing we learn is to keep a stardard line of work, that make the ‘bugs’ more easy to be detected and solved.
      Another thing everyone MUST have for the year of 2008 is some goals to reach. For exemple: Im working in a particular project and, after some calculations, i created the goal that i will have this project done until june. If until the end of january the project dont reach ‘x’ percent i have to spend more time working on it.. its a simple exemple..

      well. i hope you can undestand my english.. its really bad.. i know! :(

      😀


    9. Cosmin: Haha, define “negative people”. People questioning your logic and points of view? How can someone be negativist if we agreed that everybody is right in his own way?
      Questioning my logic is pointless, hence negative in my view. If you don’t agree with something tell me what is your experience and what works for you, that is positive, cause it is real value.

      André: I’m ignoring you when you are negative, I don’t know if you are really negative, never met you :).

      rfreak: yeah it’s imagination. You can eat fruits and other carbs and be just fine without processed sugar.

      underline: sure I know what you’re talking about. Those are good tips. I’m just not a fan of setting deadlines for your goals, everything happens in its own time for me.


    10. * Absolutely no sugar

      This is by far the biggest brain killer I discovered. It literally makes your brain soft – scientific fact.

      I recently discovered that this is true, but only if you consume too much. Otherwise it’s a nice little boost.

      Eating close to nothing during the work day, certainly no breakfast.

      This is a good idea, usually if you are bored and there’s nothing to do, you eat, which is bad because usually people eat really unhealthly food like bags of crisps or chocolate. Although if you are doing something which requires concentration I find Water and Cream crackers do the trick fine. They’re also cheap as shit so you won’t be shelling out loads of money for junkfood.

      Water = Helps concentration & quenches thirst
      Crackers = Something to nibble on :)

      Getting up early in the morning (although I hate it I simply get dramatically more things done when I wake up early and start working, no joking here it is a must do)

      How do you manage to do this? I find it increasingly hard to do this because I get a lot more work done in the early hours of the morning (during the christmas holidays I have been going to sleep at around 3-4am in the morning) I did find that drinking caffeine in the night causes you to wake up later, even if you do go to sleep relatively early.

      I listen only to Heavy Metal while programming – it is raw energy. Listen to it only loudly, never with headphones!

      Personally I listen to different music types depending on the mood I’m in. Generally I will listen to Metal if I am already in an energetic state (headbanging ftw), in contrast I will listen to dance/drum & bass “tunes” if I am not really in an energetic mood.

      * Power naps

      This is something I discovered last year. I always had trouble with napping during the day until I learned how to do it. Whenever I feel a bit tired I go on my bed to meditate. That bores the hell out of me and I fall asleep. I accomplish two things at once. Napping solves the problem of procrastination while low on energy in the body and meditations resets the brain.

      Powernapping is great! It resets your mind and I find it gives you about 15-20 minutes before you mind kicks in again, this allows you to do something with an incredible amount of efficiency: I find waking up and then playing Soldat for a bit incredibly enjoyable and I get a crapload of points :D.

      Not wasting time on negativity and negative people …Only spend time with people that provide value.

      This is very true, negativity from a human is very disheartening, and yes – while it is very selfish (but selfishness is productive) – spending time with people of value provides an uplift.


    11. Metal ftw 😀

      When I am programming I always make sure I have some metal going, especially if it is at night. It gives me kind of gives me energy which keeps me motivated. When I’m tired I usually will just browse a few sites, check my email, work for 5 minutes and then repeat. 😛


    12. teh_ham: Getting up early in the morning (although I hate it I simply get dramatically more things done when I wake up early and start working, no joking here it is a must do)

      How do you manage to do this?
      Heh I didn’t say I manage to do it. It is a thing I’m struggling with currently, but there was a period where I was waking early systematically. You must have something immediately to do after waking up, so you don’t have much time to think about going back to bed.

      Personally I listen to different music types depending on the mood I’m in.
      Me too, but for programming metal works best.

      awesty: when you’re doing that it is a sign you need a power nap:)


    13. :)MoNkEy(:

      Uh. To survive 2008, I think about 2009….
      About negativity. Sometimes I feel negative, and it still gives me power, energy, inspiration. I draw my negativity on a paper, and the outcome is sometimes very decorative. I stick my drawings on my walls, and the next time I feel negative, I just look at a drawing (which I made being negative), and it gives me inspiration for another drawing.
      Or if I don’t feel like drawing, I simply roll up a blunt, grab a 0.5 l bottle of water and go for a long walk on the bank of the Danube. It’s effin relaxing 😀


    14. This will help me a lot. Thank you Michal :)


    15. Any “golden tips” on cooking mussels? I never seem to get them just right. meh


    16. Negativity isn’t worth any attention indeed – in fact, you will live longer that way too. I do everything while listening to good music, it makes me happy and happiness will GREATLY improve my overall work. A good working atmosphere is what’s really my number one rule for getting things done.

      It’s funny that you don’t eat at all before or during work, I (often not always) tend to do the same thing. Digesting is distracting I guess. 😉
      Disadvantage is that I tend to sleep later and longer, or at least this is true for me. No power naps for me though because of my study during the days, just longer nights basically whenever possible.

      Cool that you’ve shared this Michal, it’s really interesting. Ow and best wishes for 2008!


    17. Anonymous

      You should do a post on meditation.


    18. yesss… meditation post plx


    19. Any “golden tips” on cooking mussels? I never seem to get them just right.
      Yup. Lift heavy then rest for a couple days until you recover. Eat as much as you can, literally stuff yourself like a beast. And sleep as much as possible. Simple right?

      You should do a post on meditation.
      I’m thinking how to do it, cause so many people get it wrong. Even meditation gurus explain it wrong. It is the simplest thing you can do, yet hardest to explain. When I have an idea how to explain it I’ll do it.


    20. So when I succeed how do I know this is it?


    21. Heavy metal and Bach… Nice alternations.


    22. bigbossSNK

      “Any “golden tips” on cooking mussels?”
      http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/mostof_mussels.shtml
      Hope that helps. I can dig the sarcasm.


    23. @bigbossSNK
      Exactly what I was thinking, God I love the English language 😀


    24. “Not wasting time on negativity and negative people”

      That pretty much spelled out my name, didn’t it?

      Some men, try as they might, are not positive by nature, or design.

      Do an exception and tell me this – is there any sense whatsoever posting, or even reading your blog then?


    25. […] to have a useful day. While I can appreciate the thought process behind structuring your day like Michal here, unfortunately, this doesn’t work for people who have children and jobs that keep them […]


    26. “Do an exception and tell me this – is there any sense whatsoever posting, or even reading your blog then?”

      Well, the irony in all this is that he has to read your post in order to find out if you were negative, so basically he’d read it anyways. I think he meant it’s pointless to reply or spend too much time thinking about negativity, but it doesn’t mean he won’t read.


    27. using music cheered me up,

      im learning Im alright(guitar) now, and im gonna do a live performance in 2 weeks. just been working on it for 1 day now and i know it 😛 anyways, its a great feeling to learn something new :)


    28. It\’s taken the USA by storm and people are earning big bucks with through healthy chocolate…sounds good to me!


    29. I’ve read the book ‘8 minute meditation’ and found it very easy and rewarding to ‘implement’ and would recommend it to anyone wanting to learn meditation. Also check out some books on NLP if you haven’t and want to have a better understanding on your mind. I really like all your inspirational posts; straight-to-the-point-no-bullshit-stuff! Keep at it! <3


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